Tag Archives: energy security

Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, has unveiled a countrywide effort urging citizens to cut back electricity use and in addition make use of current supplies a lot more conscientiously to ease demand on the power grid.

The roll-out of the 49M energy-efficiency drive, lead by Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, took place at Turbine Hall in Newtown, Johannesburg.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters, Minister of Public Enterprises Malusi Gigaba, chairperson of Eskom Mpho Makwana and leading business owners.

Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe

Power to the people

The 49M effort, making reference to the 49-million citizens who are now living in South Africa, happens to be endorsed by government and business leaders. Its goal and objectives is generally to instil a long-term national culture of energy-saving.

The campaign will run for five years.

Motlanthe said: “The movement being unveiled is a crucial contributing factor in the country’s push when it comes to responsible economic and developmental expansion. All of us have it within our capacity to really make a difference to energy-efficiency throughout South Africa.

“Government has pledged itself to make certain that all South Africans have accessibility to electric power. As a public utility in charge of electricity generation, Eskom has already in recent times expanded its network and additionally by means of electrification initiatives, contributed to bringing quality lifestyle and economic possibilities to a large number of rural regions who had in the past been refused the ability to access services.”

The campaign requests all South Africans to “lift a finger”, meaning that it will require merely one flick of the hand to turn off devices which are not being used.

The symbol for the advertising and marketing campaign is a yellow reminder string tied around an index finger with messages: “Remember your power” along with “If you are not using it switch it off”.

Furthermore there will also be stickers intended for people to place in strategic spots for instance on plugs and light switches, serving as a constant reminder.

Eskom’s chairperson Makwana said: “It will be the group effort and commitment coming from all South Africans that will actually really make a difference to the energy future of our country.

“Some South Africans already have made a start with simple and easy measures, which include making use of compact fluorescent lamps as an alternative to incandescent globes, attempting to keep unused appliances turned off and minimizing electricity wastage, which in turn can have a significant outcome.”

Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana

Minister of Energy Dipuo Peters added: “We already have acknowledged energy-efficiency and conservation as being a low-risk and low-cost solution in order to take action against climate change imperatives in addition to being an easy method of delaying several of the investment in infrastructure, the financing for which during this current economic climate could possibly be challenging.”

It is estimated that South Africa will probably need to double its existing installed capacity of 42 000 megawatts over the upcoming 20 years to be able to keep up with demand.

Eskom has already committed to expend R300-billion (US$43-billion) by 2020 to make certain South Africa meets its energy supply and demand ratio.

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba said: “Government is wholly commited to ensuring long-term security of electrical energy supply for all South Africans and definitely will continue to partner with Eskom together with other appropriate stakeholders to accomplish this goal. We continue to be resolute of the fact that the country should under no circumstances experience yet another time period of painful, rotational load-shedding as experienced in 2008.”

Supporters of the campaign include American Chamber of Commerce, Endangered Wildlife Trust, Food and Trees for Africa, Information Technology Association of South Africa, Massmart, MTN, National Union of Mine Workers, National Union of Metal Workers of South Africa, National Economic Development and Labour Council, National Stakeholder Advisory Council on Energy, Sci-Bono, Solidarity, South African Chamber of Commerce and the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa.

Eskom CEO Brian Dames said: “The movement will be built on ‘three P’s’, which translate to save the power, save the planet and save your pocket.”

Producing usable energy by using nuclear power technology is definitely an alternative being contemplated by government, says Energy Minister Dipuo Peters.

“The acute need to secure reliable energy supplies and the urgent requirement to reduce carbon emissions has put nuclear energy firmly on the agenda as a viable choice to be pursued in order to achieve an acceptable energy mix for our country,” the minister told a media roundtable on Wednesday.

Energy Minister Dipuo Peters

She also stated that nuclear energy was becoming a preferred solution to deal with concerns related to energy security and independence in addition to efforts to mitigate the dangers posed by climate change.

Several other countries around the world are also showing renewed interest in nuclear electrical power, while others are looking at increasing their particular established programmes, which includes South Africa.

South Africa in 2008 approved the Nuclear Energy Policy, which the country is already in the phases of implementing with the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) performing an important role.

The minister said government thought that nuclear technological innovation should be pursued mainly because it was a technology that might safely and effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is a proven baseload electricity alternative. Additionally , it is economically competitive and is safe when it is properly managed.

Cognisant of issues such as the disposal and storage of long term radioactive waste, the safety of people as well as the proper protection of the environment, governing administration is in the process of establishing the National Radioactive Waste Management Institute (NRWMI), which is going to assume responsibility associated with taking care of radioactive waste disposal on a national level.

Peters said authorities is only going to make a decision pertaining to nuclear power as soon as the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2010) is actually approved with advices coming from all stakeholders.

Global Nuclear Power Stations

“Nuclear power is a long term programme and to meet targets of the draft IRP, some work must start more than 12 years before a single watt of power is produced from new nuclear.”

The IRP is a 20-year-electricity capacity strategy for South Africa. It is designed to provide an indication associated with the nation’s electricity demand; precisely how such requirement will be provided and exactly what it will cost.

On the subject of whether power parastatal Eskom be involved in the actual build programme of nuclear power, the minister said: “This is still being considered at government level, among a few other options. We will make this decision based on what is best for the country going forward.”

South Africa at present definitely does not possess the particular expertise to operate a large fleet base of nuclear stations.

“We do not have the skills base right now and neither do we require it today. In this regard, the long time frames of a nuclear programme allows us sufficient time to develop the appropriate skills,” said Peters.

The adoptions of nuclear power, which South Africa gave up many years ago, will result in significant job creation, development and opportunities.